Upper West Regional Minister Urges Media Support for National Gun Amnesty Initiative

The Upper West Regional Minister, Charles Lwanga Puozuing, Esq., has called on the media to play a leading role in promoting the National Gun Amnesty Initiative.

The initiative is aimed at curbing the proliferation of illegal firearms and reducing gun-related violence across the country.

Speaking at a media engagement in Wa on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, the Minister emphasized that the initiative forms part of the government’s broader efforts to ensure peace, security, and social cohesion under the theme, “Silencing the Guns to Save Our Lives.”

The Gun Amnesty Initiative, to be officially launched by the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, on November 11, 2025, will run for six weeks. It offers citizens the opportunity to voluntarily surrender illicit or unregistered firearms without fear of arrest or prosecution.

Mr Puozuing noted that the increasing rate of gun-related crimes poses a serious threat to national stability. Citing data from the Ghana Police Service and the National Commission on Small Arms, he revealed that within the first three quarters of 2025, the country recorded 322 armed robbery cases, 342 murders, and 70 cases of unlawful firearm possession, resulting in 166 deaths and 93 injuries.

He explained that after the amnesty period, security agencies will embark on targeted operations to retrieve remaining illicit weapons and prosecute offenders.

The initiative, he said, will focus on three pillars—communication and outreach, logistics and operations, and monitoring and follow-up—with secure surrender points established at all district assemblies, manned by trained police personnel in plain clothes.

The Minister urged the media to support the campaign through continuous education and advocacy, stressing that “a gun surrendered is a life saved.”

“Your consistent and responsible reportage can make the difference between the success and failure of this national security effort. This is not about punishment, it is about protection,” he stated.

He further reaffirmed the government’s commitment under President John Dramani Mahama to ensuring public safety and maintaining Ghana’s reputation as a peaceful nation.